UC, Cincinnati State partner to ease burden of bachelor degrees

The University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College on Wednesday signed an agreement to ease the earning of a UC bachelor’s degree for any Cincinnati State student with certain associate’s degrees and a 2.0 grade point average.

The agreement guarantees UC admission to Cincinnati State students with an associate of arts, associate of science or associate of applied science degree. It also established a framework for increasing the ability of students to transfer credits between the two institutions.

“This agreement is good for students, good for the region, and good for both institutions,” Cincinnati State President O’dell Owens said in a news release. “Today we are making it easier, and less expensive, for Greater Cincinnati residents to get the education that today’s employers require.”

The UC-Cincinnati State agreement also established a “Cincinnati Pathways Scholars” program that gives Cincinnati State students with 15 semester credit hours and a minimum of 3.25 GPA access to UC libraries, admission to non-ticketed UC sporting events, invitation to select programs and events, and the opportunity to purchase membership to UC’s recreation center.

Scholarships will be available to Pathways Scholars who graduate from Cincinnati State with a 3.4 GPA and enroll at UC.

“This agreement symbolizes the commitment of both campuses to provide access to higher education for the students in our region as well as take important steps to assure their completion through enhanced advising and degree tracking,” UC President Santa Ono said in a news release. “At UC, we want to provide students with many options for gateways to a baccalaureate degree — our Uptown campus, our two regional campuses and Cincinnati State.”